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The early Greek church leader Origen (ca. 185-ca. 254) grew up in the syncretistic milieu of the cosmopolitan city of Alexandria, the son of Leonidas, an educated convert to Christianity who died a martyr’s death in 202. Having received a solid Greek and Christian education, Origen made his living as a teacher of grammar until queries from pagans interested in Christianity prompted him to provide instruction in Christianity as well (other Christian teachers had fled Alexandria during persecutions). His enthusiasm for the ascetic ideals of his age prompted him to interpret Matt. 19:1…

[German Version] (feast day Dec 25), ascetic and martyr, was born to a pagan family. The novelistic account of her martyrdom is highly imaginative, with many legendary features. It reports that she was the daughter of Philip, the Roman prefect in Egypt, who gave her a literary and philosophical education. She was converted from philosophy to Christianity by reading the Epistles ¶ of Paul. She joined a monastery disguised as a man, and on account of her great virtue, she apparently soon became its abbot. Appea…

[German Version] (feast day Jan 20/21) and his companions suffered martyrdom under Diocletian for destroying an altar of Mithras (Mithraic religion). Besides an anonymous Passio from the 6th or 7th century, Xiphilinus of Trebizond (11th cent.), Joseph Lazaropoulos, and Constantine Loukites (both 14th cent.) recount the life and miracles of the saint. He became the patron saint of the empire of Trebizond. Holger Strutwolf Bibliography Sources: BHG 608y-613 On Eugenius: J.O. Rosenqvist, “Some Remarks on the Passions of St. Eugenios of Trebizond and Their Sources,” AnBoll 107, 1989…

[German Version] I. Religious Studies The concept of a primeval or primordial history (Ger. Urgeschichte), as used in scholarly discourse, starts with the biblical text of Gen 1–11, but may be transferred to other contexts in religious studies. However, this makes sense only where identity-forming narratives proceed on a chronological basis (History/Concepts of history) in their notions of time, and where they are guided by the idea of a special quality in the origin of the world and/or their own society and…

[English Version] I. Religionswissenschaftlich Das Konzept einer U., wie es im wiss. Diskurs verwendet wird, ist am bibl. Text Gen 1–11 ausgerichtet, läßt sich aber auch auf andere Zusammenhänge der Religionsgesch. übertragen. Sinnvoll ist dies jedoch nur, wo identitätsstiftende Erzählungen in ihren Zeitvorstellungen (Zeit) grundsätzlich geschichtsförmig sind (Geschichte/Geschichtsauffassung) und wo sie von der Vorstellung geleitet sind, daß dem Ursprung der Welt und/oder der eigenen (Abstammungs-…